Mary Knows Football: Week 5

Mmmm, the battle of the corn-fed vs. the cheese-fed. Saturday’s game marks the Big 10 conference opener for both teams, and the Cornhuskers’ inaugural game in the conference. Both teams are undefeated after four non-conference games, but the Badgers undoubtedly looked better against the cupcakes, winning by an average of 40 points and allowing less than 9 points per contest. Former NC State QB Russell Wilson is now leading the Badgers, ranking in the top 10 in the FBS in passing yards (1136, 9th), touchdowns (11, tie-8th,) and passer rating (218.4, 2nd) while only throwing one interception. On the ground, RBs Montee Ball and James White have combined for 663 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns so far. Nebraska has been less impressive, struggling to put away Fresno State until the 4th quarter and Washington until a couple of costly turnovers by the Huskies allowed Nebraska to build a large lead. The Cornhuskers’ defense is allowing 350 yards per game, including over 400 to both Fresno State and Washington. Meanwhile, sophomore QB Taylor Martinez has been inconsistent and thus far, not as good as his freshman year, rushing for 421 yards – which is good for 18th among all FBS players – and 7 touchdowns, but completing only 50% of his passes en route to only 162 passing yards per game. Look for (1) the Badgers’ big uglies to try to stop the ground game and force Martinez to throw; and (2) the Cornhuskers to give up an ungodly amount of yards to Ball, White, and Wilson (he can run, too) on the ground. Nebraska keeps this game close early before Wisconsin pulls away in the second half.

3 Alabama at 12 Floriduh: Bama

You might have seen your croc friends bragging about their new jorts on Facebook and wondered what the occasion is. Hot date with his cousin? A cow-tipping party? Nope, it’s Bama week in Jortsville and the Floriduh fans have worked themselves into a tizzy thinking THIS is the year that they beat the Crimson Tide and avenge St. Timmy’s tears.

Isn’t that cute?

Croc fans and other people that brag about graduating the third grade will be quick to tell you that QB John Brantley has completed 64 percent of his passes (throwing four touchdowns and two interceptions) and the crocs are10th in the nation in rushing (more than 250 yards per game) with the help of stalker Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps have a combined 731 rushing yards, 284 receiving yards and eight TDs. That’s nice. Alabama’s defense, meet John Brantley. John Brantley, meet the ground. With that dude taken care of, it’s up to Bama’s defense to stop the run. Alabama is only allowing a total of 184 yards per game . . . against good teams. QB AJ McCarron (who has a 66 percent completion percentage, four touchdowns and two interceptions) will manage this game effectively and let RBs Trent Richardson and Eddy Lacey (who combine for 806 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns) win it for the Crimson Tide. Let the crocodile tears ensue.

13 Clemson at 11 VA Tech: VA Tech

Clemson is coming off two big wins over Auburn and FSWho, gaining nearly 1,100 yards in those contests. QB Tajh Boyd leads the ACC with 13 touchdowns and 1,255 yards, leading the conference in total offense. Freshman WR Sammy Watkins has caught 14 passes for 296 yards and four touchdowns the past two games. Boyd and Watkins both repeated this past week as ACC offensive back and receiver of the week. That was in Death Valley. Tigers, welcome to Lane Stadium, the place where you begin your annual choke. Bud Foster’s defense is kryptonite to most offenses, even fast-tempo ones ran by Clemson’s first year OC Chad Morris. The Hokies have been practicing defending this sort of offense for weeks, rank no lower than No. 10 nationally in sacks, rushing D, pass efficiency D, scoring D and total D. CBs Jayron Hosley and Kyle Fuller will give Watkins a baptism by fire, as VA Tech’s secondary has allowed only 2 TD passes and has picked off SEVEN. On offense, the Hokies will use speedy RB David Wilson and RB Josh Oglesby to chip away at a suspect Clemson front that’s allowing a whopping 4.8 yards per carry. Thanks for beating FSWho, Tigers. Now it’s time to wake up.

Bethune Cookman at Miami: Miami

To everyone who witnessed Kansas State beat Miami last Saturday: I’m sorry. That hurt.

Now get the #@&$ over it.

You call yourself a ‘Canes fan? Well, this is where you demonstrate the true meaning of the word “fanatic” (def: demonstrated by excessive unreasoning enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion). You heard Mr. Webster. Unreasoning. Uncritical. So stop thinking, stop criticizing, get your @$$ to Sun Life Stadium on Saturday, down some bloody marys and jello shots, do some drunken “woo hoo”ing with every first down and watch the ‘Canes beat this week’s Wildcats.

It will be weird, but nothing lasts forever. I’m not going to chastise the staff for the decision, even if I don’t get it.

We’ll hear him at baseball games. We are already making plans for them because one of my closest girlfriends since 1999 and her AWESOME husband Jerry (some of you met them at the VA Tech tailgate) are moving back from Australia in March. SO FREAKING EXCITED!!! They are STARVED for the ‘Canes right now. Baseball and Titanic beers will do. 😀

Gots to give you probs these weekends on your Football IQ JSQ on calling right the upset games of Louisville and FSWho by FIU and Clemson respectively. Nice little write ups on the three games you wrote today (excl UM vs BCC). Hard to chew on those three games, as they are far not apart, except for Bama & UF, where Weiss UF gimmickry offense will be stapled shut successfully by Bama D (unlike Weiss stomach). UF suspect defense will be exposed as well. I concur that both VTech and Wisconsin prevail.

Maybe we can do a little contest for Jello shots to call the upset of the weekend Football games particularly on in-state teams and some conference teams of in-state teams, and if more, than nationally ranked team. I know I was the only one who called for Temple to upset UM Killer U of MD! Their little passing game with O’Brien & WRs which slaughtered our newbies was road kill vs Temple.

I have yet to check out all the big games this weekend, but will do so, and give my upset picks by midnight.

Jay rokeach was not canned at all. He is the new voice of the florida panthers and had too many schedule conflicts with football and basketball. The university wanted one voice for the whole season of basketball and football going forward. Baseball and volleyball are not as important to them I guess. Flying into town from N.C. To watch the game this week before heading to the next 2 road games!!!!!

Thanks, SW. I go by not only the talent on the team, but teams’ tendancies. FSWho tends to have a hangover game. FIU was AMPED for the Louisville game – I have a friend on the coaching staff. I just KNEW they would win. This week with Clemson and VA Tech, the numbers tell you a lot, but knowing Clemson and knowing those two big Ws took place at home, I think VA Tech will take care of business. Their defense will win the game and their offense won’t F up.

Floriduh is just not as good as people want to think they are.

No write up for UM vs Bethune Cookman, sorry. Delray gave you guys the goods and I have nothing to add. We should win, and fans should support. I’ll have more to say against VA Tech next week.

“Miami 48, Bethune-Cookman 10: The Hurricanes are trying to rebound from their surprising loss to K-State and they’ll take out their frustrations on an FCS opponent. Both teams are coming off games in which replay overturned original rulings of go-ahead touchdowns in the final minute. Miami running back Lamar Miller will continue to pad his stats, and the defense will win the game up front.”

“We don’t scream. If you see us on the sideline, game day, Coach D wants to keep everybody calm. Guys never lose their cool on the sideline,” he said. “We just have to swarm to the ball. When you get 11 men to the ball, it makes it easier to tackle. You can miss a tackle, but somebody is right there in a split second later helping you out.”
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When guys start talking like this, that’s never a good mindset all the time, it’s football, alot of it has to do with passion and not staying calm, if the coaches want to stay calm, that’s one thing, but the players, when a team is letting a qb like k-st’s go up and down the field, somebody needs to start going off and force somebody to make a play. It couldn’t be me out there, it won’t take me long to say something and for me, it won’t matter who the opponent is. Imagine somebody trying to tell ray lewis to stay calm during a football game, lol.

Trent Taylor returned home from an official visit to Tennessee earlier this month impressed enough with the Vols to suggest he needed some time to consider whether he wanted to stick with his previous commitment to Miami.
Defensive lineman Trent Taylor of Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Fla., verbally committed to Tennessee on Wednesday night.

He finally made up his mind Wednesday night.

The senior defensive lineman from Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland, Fla., who had been committed to the Hurricanes since February, has verbally committed to Tennessee, multiple sources close to Taylor’s recruitment confirmed Thursday morning.

The 6-foot-2, 270-pound Taylor, who’s rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, gave the Vols their 17th public commitment and their third defensive lineman for the 2012 class.

Taylor could not immediately be reached for comment, but he said earlier this month that he had “a lot of thinking to do” after his visit to UT.

As he prepared to board a flight home from Knoxville on Sept. 4, Taylor said the Vols had assured him during his visit that “I can play a big role” in their defense early in his career if he decided to play at Tennessee.

““I guess they’ve got two defensive linemen leaving this year, and they said they’re hurting, so I’d be an important part if I come,” Taylor said at the time, adding that he’s “trying to” graduate early and enroll at the college of his choice in January.

Taylor said then that his commitment to Miami was “a little softer” after allegations of potential NCAA rules violations committed by the Hurricanes surfaced last month.

“I’ve still got to, like, look out for myself first,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

Tennessee quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw had stayed in touch with Taylor in recent months, and Taylor said his trip to Knoxville for the Vols’ season-opening win over Montana on Sept. 3 made a strong impression on him.

“I liked the coaches — Coach Hinshaw,” Taylor said at the time. “I liked all the coaches. I spent a lot of time with the players and stuff. It went pretty well.”

Taylor said he also liked what he heard from Tennessee’s coaches while he was on campus.

“They were just telling me, if I come here, they’re going to push me and make me better than I am now,” he said. “That’s what I want. …

“I like (Hinshaw). He’s real nice. He’s kind of like my mom. He said he’s going to stay on me so I can get my stuff done, and I like that. That’s what I need — somebody that’s going to push me. We’re getting close.”

The game-day atmosphere at Neyland Stadium caught his attention, too.

“The fans impressed me,” Taylor said earlier this month. “I always heard about the fans, but I never knew they was, like, that loud and stuff like that.”

Esteban says:
September 29, 2011 at 11:59 AM
yeah Calvin, football is an emotional game. can’t let emotions get the better of you, but can’t fight having them either. need to let ‘em out.
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What’s the purpose of holding in rage during a football game, that’s part of what that game is for to give guys and outlet for rage! I mean i can understand goldie saying they don’t yell at players on the sidelines and during games, if that’s their style i understand but somehow during certain moments in the game, certain players need to be yelled at by somebody, “this ain’t intramurals”. I’m not sure about the runningbacks coach mentality, we know he gets production out of his runningbacks, but when you hear ed reed talking about the message coach don soldinger put up:

“The strength of the wolf is the pack and the stength of the pack is the wolf”

soldinger gave guys life long lessons that stuck with them, it wasn’t just baout football, here’s ed reed on the defensive side of the ball talking about what the runningbacks coach said. Anybody that knows anything about football and coaches know that it’s not always your position coach or if you’r on offense or defense, just certain coaches on a staff mean more to the overall team than just the position that they’re teaching at the time, same as it is with coach kehoe, guys like them that when players come out of that tunnel already understand what it takes to be great, that’s the only question this coaching staff, as organized as they are, for the most part, that’s the real last remaining ? mark that has to be answered. Can they translate a championship mindset to the players.

It can’t just be passed on by saying things like, “stake your claim to this legacy today” sounds decent, but that’s not what it takes, it’s deeper than that, but we’ll see how this coaching staff respnds, right now i see jethro out there with the same sideline tendicies that coach hurtt had, the 1st one out there trying to help players up off the field and slapping helmets but the production from his unit is piss poor.

Randy Shannon was knocked for a lot of things (some deserving), but to me sideline demeanor was one of the dumbest criticisms ever. I don’t care what the coach does on the sideline as long as the end result is a W.

As a player if I’m looking to the sideline antics for inspiration to get my job done then I might be in the wrong place.

Yeah I just think it’s silly. Kind of like how some people had a problem with Dwight Howard because he smiled to much before the game like that effected his ability to jump or threw off his coordination or something.

Dayton that’s what I’ve been saying for a while. Love/Hate Randy and what he brought to the table, but if this season was going to be much different than the players were going to have to make some major changes. At what point are you going to get sick and tired of getting punched in the face?

With that being said I see some improvements in the mentality and toughness of the team. Penalties and turnovers are cut down and the team fights to the end. That’s all you can ask for at this point and the W’s will start to come.

DaytonCane says:
September 29, 2011 at 1:35 PM
And isn’t Golden on the sideline screaming before, during, and after the game? Dude is intense all the time.

Same thing with Kehoe, Carroll, Barrow, and Jethro at times. Not every coach is a rah-rah type, and they dont have to be. We’re worrying about 1 coach who doesn’t do it.

Wow.

Yet I rarely see Kirby Smart, John Chavis, or Jim Heacock jumping up and down on the sidelines. And those are three pretty decent coordinators.
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If this is in response to what i posted earlier, apparently you need to re-read the post. Who said anything about coach do nof demeanor on the sidelines or even randy shannon’s demeanor, my post was in reference to players saying they stay calm, as a football player, that calm mentality will get you losses like k-st. and the turtles and hell, even BETHUNE COOMAN. How in the hell can any player from UM at this point say they staying calm and we losing, that’s a joke. Every player is not going to respond to quietness in a positive way and some players, the only way to bring certain things out of them is for somebody to get on they azz, be it a player or a coach.

The word calm and football don’t go hand in hand. For instance, tony dungy was about/was and had about as calm a demeanor as any coach ever had, but his defenses were constantly wrecking havoc on opposing teams, they were the opposite of calm. So now tell us, what’s the purpose of having a calm demeanor but you’re getting skull drug the whole game, unless you want to continue to pile up loses, calm will be your best friend. Football is an emotional game, if the majority of the team was calm, you won’t see a team like that winning a championship or conssitently winning in the regular season often, best believe that.

When they run out the smoke, that brings passion, when they huddle up before kick and start jumping up and down, that’s suppose to generate more passion, before the kick-offs they locking arms now(still looks ghey as phuck) to pass on passionate brotherhood, but after the game starts, let’s be calm, man, GTFOH, just doesn’t work when it comes to winning consistently in football.

There it is bg, this guy gets me hype, we’ll see what time it is come saturday, effort will be there last problem, but if BETHUNE COOKMAN is up on us at halftime, time for me to go register at embry riddle and pay n full for the 2nd person, NO EXCUSES!

Calvin – not calm. Dude was ready to burn down villages full of women and children if it meant getting a W. Need more of that.
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No doubt and that’s the difference between these kids and the ones on the roster now, only a hand full of them have that same fire, but it will slowly start to burn and come around. We alll know about spence, i know no one had to tell olivier vernon to bring it every game or ray ray or “Truth” miller, travis benjamin, brandon washington or even thomas finnie, he’s only been passed on once this year, that’s one guy that know how to play ball and has had some nice sticks coming up in run support.

Also, we got to many guys not making plays when they can, for instance, that play where ojomo broke free and almost got the sack on the k-st. qb, why was vaughn telemaque just sitting there, instead of jumping that receiver as soon as you saw ojomo about to get to the qb, those are the lil things about football where you have to be able to see what the next man is about to do to know when the ball should be or is aabout to come out, like what spence did against osu when chick got the sack, you just gotta know how to play off your teammates!

Miami is gonna get its share of recruits and is still gonna get plenty of speed. It’s just a matter of Golden bringing in some guys that have a ginormous chip on their shoulders and have good football instincts.

Nashville – I was at the Rays game last night. Was yelling at all the a-holes that were leaving when it was 7-0 Yankees. Huge bandwagon town. This area doesn’t deserve the Rays. I got home around 4am. Was a good night

Any Red Sawx fans out there, all I have to say is 7-20. Ouch. How you like ‘dem apples ahhhhhhhhhh

Canez1 is lying. He wanted me to take a pic of Beast in the post-game presser after the KState game b/c he wanted to go to Kinko’s or FedEx and have them blow it up to poster size for memorabilia. When Canez1 said, can you go get his autograph, I had to put a stop to it

Bahaha

Eeesh. Remember what I told you Canez1 about him throwing a tantrum in the press conference? Ya, now you see it in written form as well